Message From The Mayor

August 2013

Driving in the northern part of Palm Coast recently, it occurred to me that the directional transportation needs of our community have changed over the years. I was following along the Forest Grove Drive curvatures, thinking about the old days when ITT Corporation first constructed our roads. Not many people lived here; Matanzas High School didn't exist and Forest Grove was pretty much the furthest north boundary for homes or people.

Population and the need for new traffic patterns unquestionably have us re-thinking and planning. Palm Coast shows enduring residential growth and tourists and sports tournament visitors continue to fill our roads. Hundreds of students attend the new high school. And we will eventually be the recipient of a new on/off interchange at I-95 and Matanzas Woods Pkwy. How do we prepare for these modifications?

The City proposes to extend both Palm Harbor Parkway and Old Kings Road North to connect at Matanzas Woods Parkway for easy access to the soon-to-be I-95 interchange. The extensions will also eliminate streams of cars in front of the high school (thus increasing safety for students), serve as a quicker route for residents to evacuate in a disaster and allow for law enforcement and fire personnel to arrive more swiftly to emergency situations.

Construction at the north end of Palm Harbor Parkway should begin at the end of this year. The road will be realigned from Fernmill Lane, on a straight line connecting to Matanzas Woods Pkwy at Old Kings Road, north of the high school.

The Old Kings Road north extension will be constructed and completed in the near future. It will carve through vacant land to the west of the high school and reconnect with both Matanzas Woods and Old Kings Road North.

Because much of the construction will be extended through empty property, disruption to drivers is expected to be extremely minimal.

It is Council's goal to have these two roadway extensions completed in about the same time frame as the completion of the new Interchange.